Irwin Mitchell’s specialist Personal Injury team has assisted a man to obtain compensation after he suffered an accident at work sustaining a serious eye injury.
Our client, a recycling plant worker from South Yorkshire, was acting as banksman to a fellow worker who was unloading some waste materials. As his colleague unloaded the waste a sharp piece of plastic from the load rebounded outwards and struck Mr U in the left eye piercing his eyeball and causing him serious injury.
As a result of the accident our client sustained required surgery on his eye and to undergo “posturing” which required him to sit for many hours a day with his face downwards, resting on a table, to give his surgery to reattach his retina the best possible chance of success.
Although there has been some improvement in his vision in the injured eye, it will never be the same again.
He agreed an out of court settlement of £50,000 with his employers to cover damages for his injury itself (including the possibility of future deterioration in that eye) as well as medical expenses, loss of earnings and the care and assistance he received following the accident.
Lisa Fairclough of Irwin Mitchell’s serious injury team who represented our client in his claim said “The problem here was that the claimant did not have appropriate goggles, and the system of work being used had not been properly thought out. As a result he has suffered a permanent injury to his eye.
“Thankfully, my client has been able to return to work following his accident, but he will continue to need specialist eye care for the whole of his life, and now has an increased risk of loss of vision in the injured eye. His compensation, however, goes towards giving him a good degree of financial security into the future and should assist should he ever need time off work due to his eye problems in the future”.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury at work, our specialist serious injury solicitors could help you to claim compensation. Visit our Accident at Work Claims page for more information.
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